Microsoft has been pushing hard to sell Game Pass subscriptions.
Basically every Xbox exclusive game is going straight on Game Pass when next-gen finally hits. And it sounds like gamers could soon have yet another way to access and play Xbox games.
Xbox is no longer just in the business of moving discs and high-priced hardware anymore.
Streaming games to your TV
In a new interview with Stratechery, Xbox head Phil Spencer hints that the company may sell xCloud bundles or devices that allow for streaming games straight to the TV through Wi-Fi.
“I think you’re going to see lower-priced hardware as part of our ecosystem, when you think about streaming sticks and other things that somebody might want to just go plug into their TV and go play via xClou.” Spencer said.
“You could imagine us even having something that we just included in the Game Pass subscription that gave you an ability to stream xCloud games to your television, and buying the controller.”
The future of gaming
Microsoft was showing off cloud streaming with Halo 4 on Windows Phones as far back as 2013, and even came close to shipping 300,000 “Xbox TV” devices, codenamed Project Hobart, in 2016.
These days you can download the Game Pass app on your phone, log into an Xbox Live account, and be playing your favorite Halo or Forza game in roughly a minute. The system is already in place, it's just getting it to the masses in a way they are used to.
It makes sense that Microsoft would consider bundling a TV stick. Maybe with a controller and a year of Game Pass.
All in one easy and accessible bundle that doesn’t require the massive cost of a next-gen console to enjoy gaming.
READ MORE: PS5 DualSense unboxed!